Genesis 49:25 The God of your father—may he help you! And may The Strong God—may he give you his blessings, blessings tumbling out of the skies, blessings bursting up from the Earth—blessings of breasts and womb.

We learned a lot from Jacob. Yes, he had to wrestle with God to strip away his own ego and agenda, yet through every struggle, God remained steadfastly by his side. God blessed him to become a great man with many descendants.

Then, at the end of his life, he greeted and blessed each of his sons. Looking at the lives of these sons, who became the twelve tribes of Israel, you see that their lives turned out exactly as their father had blessed them.

Blessing others has special power.

It is said that the Rev. Andrew Murray Sr regularly held evening worship with his family. A passage of Scripture and a Psalm were read, and then a prayer of blessing was offered over his children. He called them by name before God and prayed that the Lord would protect, shape and call them.

It was not a grand ceremony for which they had to line up, just a faithful, audible prayer of blessing in the ordinary rhythm of the house.

That rhythm built a legacy that would irrevocably change the spiritual landscape of South Africa. Andrew Murray Jr would become world-renowned for his ministry and his books on prayer and still has a great impact on the lives of many people to this day.

The father’s spoken blessing guides his children’s future. It shapes their identity, keeps them safe, and their direction is “spoken” under God’s hand.

You see, through intimacy with God, we gain a perspective that acts as a vital tool, giving us a clear advantage over those walking without His guidance. We can make our loved ones live “under God’s hand” by constantly speaking it.

Let us then seize this opportunity. Let us regularly speak our loved ones, children, family and friends “under God’s hand”, so that they can live under His blessing!

Prayer
Father, thank you for the tool you give us. Thank you that we can bless others and know that they will receive from your hand. I now bless …

Questions
Whose life is currently under my influence, and how do I use my words to give direction and hope?
Do I truly believe that God works through spoken blessings, or do I see blessings simply as pretty words without power?
How can I make blessing a more intentional part of my relationship with God and my everyday interactions with people?

Do this now
Mention one person by name before God today and intentionally pray a blessing over their future, character, and calling.
Make blessing part of your regular routine and not just something you do when things go wrong.
This week, notice how you speak about your loved ones and replace worry with words of blessing that place them under God’s hand.